Breaking news overshadows State of the Union

Timing is everything, and unfortunately for the Democratic Party and President Obama, the timing of Tuesday night's State of the Union Address could not have been any worse.

Obama's address focusing on heady issues of the "E's"—economy, energy, environment, education—was drowned out as traditional media and social media alike were distracted with other national and international news. Meanwhile, the Republican rebuttal by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio became a viral sensation not because of what he said, but because of a sip of water Rubio took mid-speech. Naturally, it's been called sip-gate or mini-watergate. Rubio responded to the Twitter buzz by tweeting a picture of the Poland Spring water bottle from which he took the now famous sip.

Leading up to the president's address, the buildup was overshadowed by the Pope's resignation, North Korea's nuclear test, and the creepy rocker Ted Nugent sideshow. During the address, the standoff with rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner stole whatever buzz was left.

True to form, about 48 minutes into the address news stations reported that Dorner was dead, burned inside a woodland cabin. CNN could barely wait to switch coverage from the address to the breaking news. Within three seconds after Obama finished, CNN quickly chimed in with the Dorner news.

Comedian Travis Simmons took note of the media storm, posting:

Pope Quitting, Uncle Dorner's Burning Cabin. Can a brother just enjoy the State of the Union. Why is everyone... fb.me/1Vaxwa3MI

For those who could cut through the clutter and watch the address, comments stayed mundane compared with last year’s robust political season. As with most social media events, the irreverence of the online networks showed its humorous and sometimes offensive side with the hashtag #thingsIdRatherDoThanWatchSotu.

Social media conversations also took note of Ted Nugent's high-profile attendance at the address. He didn’t miss a beat, or a media opportunity, to push his views on gun rights and flaunt his political and social incorrectness.

MSNBC contributor Dave Weigel tweeted:

OH reporter asking someone to help him find Nugent in the crowd: "He looks like a tall, crazy white motherf**ker"